She looked at the two girls and pointed to them with her finger. Feeling so confused, she didn't accept her situation. Her beautiful brows wrinkled as she gave the two a bitter look.
"Hey you two, where am I? What dynasty is this? Who's the old man reigning?"
Ning Lou only got bits of memories from the original owner. She couldn't make out of the rest, for they were blurred and fragmented. Surprisingly, she and the past body's owner had the same name, and this 'Ning Lou' was an empress.
Xiao Qu opened her mouth to speak, "Your Highness, we are at the Lotus Pavilion. It's the 5th year of Emperor Qin's reign. Did you forget?" Xiao Qu looked at Ning Lou strangely. Her Highness has been acting weirdly since she came out of the water. Isn't she supposed to be throwing a tantrum right now and reporting her grievances to the Empress Dowager?
Ning Lou furrowed her brows and thought deep. She couldn't find any Emperor Qin in any Chinese Dynasties. What place is this if she didn't travel through time?
"What about his true name?" If Emperor Qin didn't have any records in the annals, then maybe his true name might have.
Xiao Qu knelt quickly, not daring to call the emperor by his name. "This servant doesn't dare. May Your Highness spare me."
"You…"
Ning Lou massaged her temples. She forgot that calling anyone from the imperial clan with their birth names was a taboo and punishable as well.
"Quickly get up. Where's the exit?" Xiao Qu stood up and answered Ning Lou.
"Your Highness, what do you mean? The way out of this Pavilion?
"No, the way out of the Palace. I want to get out of this wretched place." Ning Lou couldn't stay another minute in this place. She had watched plenty of historical Chinese dramas in the past, that's why she knew the dangers inside the Imperial Harem for an empress like her. Getting poisoned, murdered and framed were common like grasses in the pasture. What if those scheming snakes teamed up and targeted her. Wouldn't she need to live everyday on the tip of the knife?
"Quickly answer me. Where's the exit?"
Xiao Qu grabbed Ning Lou's robe and pleaded. Her eyes were misty, giving out a pitiful appearance. "Your Highness, Xiao Qu is still young and she has a family. Please don't make things difficult for Xiao Qu."
Xiao Yan on the other side, couldn't keep her cool anymore and pleaded Ning Lou as well. "Niang Niang, please don't do this. We'll be punished heavily by the Empress Dowager. Nubi also has a family, and nubi's siblings are depending on nubi."
Ning Lou was taken aback by their pleas. Isn't that a bit too much, getting punished because of someone's else deeds.
"Quickly, stand up. How about this, you never saw me, and you don't know that I escaped the palace myself. Now tell me where is the exit?"
Hearing Ning Lou's words, they pleaded even more. The girls grabbed her skirt tighter. Xiao Qu was feeling more nervous because Her Highness was really serious this time. Xiao Qu's cries became louder.
"Sob. Sob. Your Highness, I won't stand up. Xiao won't stand up unless you will go back to the Phoenix Cloud Pavilion."
"Niang Niang, Nubi won't also stand up. Niang Niang you need to change your wet clothes. The Empress Dowager will punish us Nubis if you get sick."
"You two…"
Ning Lou tugged her skirt as well, but it won't budge at all. These little girls surprisingly have strength. Those hands were tightly clamped on the fabric of her skirt, never letting go, as if their lives were counting on it.
"Let go of my skirt, do you want to strip me?"
Xiao Qu and Xiao Yan immediately loosened their grips. Ning Lou took this chance to tugged her skirt free. Psychological tricks really do work, even in ancient times.
Meanwhile, the girls quickly attempted to grab a hold again of her skirt, but Ning Lou saw through it and dodged. She ran away, never looking back at the two who were also trying to catch up.
Ning Lou ran in circles, because she didn't know any way out. This place was really huge for a courtyard. The two girls were calling and screaming 'Her Highness'. They were liked children playing tags. Ning Lou cursed her bad luck. She couldn't run properly because of her heavy robes that were also drenched with water. Her feet were also pricked by pebbles. If these were the modern times, she would have long outrun these two girls. This body was frail, only a few pebbles and her feet began to bleed.
Her breathing became uneven. What kind of body becomes exhausted after running a few laps. Soon, the two girls caught up with her. Ning Lou gritted her teeth and unfastened the embroidered belt of her outer robe. She took it off and began to take off another layer. Just as she was about to take off the second robe, a force from the back made her tumbled face first on the ground. Xiao Qu and Xiao Yan grabbed a hold of her two hands.
"Hey, you little twerps. Let go of me, I command you."
"Xiao Qu, helped me, gag her."
Xiao Qu shook her head, not daring to obey Xiao Yan. "Xiao Yan, are you afraid Her Highness will make her revenge on us?"
"Xiao Qu, I'm more afraid of the Empress Dowager. After this, we'll ask Mama Tang for help. With Mama Tang's help, the Empress Dowager won't punish us."
Xiao Qu reluctantly pulled out her handkerchief and stuffed it inside Ning Lou's open mouth.
"F*ck, a** *** t** go*** *o s***nced *e." Only muffled grunts can be heard from Ning Lou. These two girls were stronger than she. No matter how she tried to wiggle her hands free from their clutches, their hands were still clamped together, preventing her from escaping.
"Xiao Qu, go find Mama Tang and bring her here alone. Also bring some warm coats."
"Xiao Yan, are you going to be fine alone?" Xiao Qu was indirectly asking if she can handle Ning Lou alone.
Xiao Yan nodded and grab a hold of Ning Lou's other hand. Seeing Xiao Yan was doing fine, Xiao Qu scurried to the exit, trying to find Mama Tang.
Ning Lou became tired at this point. She momentarily closed her eyes and stopped her movements. She inwardly cried, feeling hopeless. If she can't find her way out, only death awaits her in this cruel place. She didn't notice the tears streaming down on her cheeks. Thinking of her possible outcomes, she cried even more.
"How did Niang Niang fall in the pond? Xiao Qu and Nubi were worried."
Hearing the girl question, Ning Lou furrowed her brows and tried to fish out some memories from the past owner. However, she only saw blurred images of someone's robe and embroidered shoes. She pursed her lips and thought harder. However, the result was the same. If she ever found out who murdered the past Ning Lou, she would chat about life with that person. If it wasn't for that person, she still would be in her past world indulging in her accumulated riches. Now that she transmigrated, not only she doesn't have any money in her name, she was also back to square one.
Pondering about it, it really seemed illogical. How did her soul transmigrate in such a place? It's that the pond somehow a time machine or a portal, but even science couldn't justify this anomaly. Being desperate, she could only hope she was right.
Ning Lou's expression took a one hundred eighty degrees turn, her nose wrinkled and sounds of groaning came out of her stuffed mouth. Her body fidgeted and shook uncontrollably. Xiao Yan also felt something wrong. Ning Lou's incessant groans and movements drew her attention.
"Niang Niang, what is happening? Niang Niang!"